Saudi Club Al-Ittihad eyeing the Brazilian but move will depend on Fabinho’s future
Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad are considering a move for Casemiro when the Brazilian leaves Manchester United this summer.
Casemiro confirmed in January that he will leave United at the end of his current deal in June. The 34-year-old reportedly has some interest in remaining in Europe, but he is attracting attention from Saudi Arabia, with Al-Ittihad monitoring his situation closely.
The club are currently sixth in the Saudi Pro League and looking to add another high-profile name following the departure of Karim Benzema to Al-Hilal earlier this year. Al-Ittihad are rivals to Al-Hilal as well as Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, who are currently top of the Saudi Pro League.
Casemiro played with Ronaldo for four years at Real Madrid, before reuniting with him briefly at Manchester United.
However, any move for Casemiro from Al-Ittihad is tied to the situation of Fabinho, whose contract is also due to expire. The former Liverpool midfielder joined Al-Ittihad in 2023, and a decision on whether he will renew or leave is still pending.
Casemiro’s recent resurgence under head coach Michael Carrick has led to calls from supporters for him to remain at Old Trafford. Fans chanted “one more year” after he scored in the 3-1 win over Aston Villa this month.
Teammate Leny Yoro said the squad also hoped the midfielder would stay.
“Everyone wanted him to stay, he’s a player [who is] really important for us,” Yoro said. “Even in the dressing room, every day, he has the experience that no one else has in the team. He won everything, so this helped us a lot in the games and even outside the pitch.”
United retain the option to extend Casemiro’s contract by a year, but it was agreed earlier in the season that he would depart in the summer, and the Brazilian wants to leave on a high, and on his own terms.
